Lost in Application: Child Witnesses and Psychological Research on Trial

Joyce Plotnikoff

Title of keynote: What young people tell us about being a witness at court: are we listening?

Researcher and director of Lexicon Limited

Joyce Plotnikoff qualified as a social worker in the UK and as a lawyer in the US, where she was a Supreme Court Fellow in 1981. With Richard Woolfson, Joyce is a director of Lexicon Limited. They have recently completed a national study of 182 young witnesses in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, funded by the NSPCC and Nuffield Foundation. In 2007, they completed two projects for the Ministry of Justice: 'the evaluation of the intermediary Special Measure' and 'a comparison of young witness support services'.

Their publications include:

• 'In Their Own Words: the experiences of 50 young witnesses in criminal proceedings' (2004);
• 'An Evaluation of Child Witness Support' (2001);
• 'The Young Witness Pack' and 'Preparing young witnesses for court – A Handbook for child witness supporters' (1998);
• 'Children in Court' (1996) and 'Prosecuting Child Abuse' (1995);
• They coordinated the DVDs/ videos 'Giving Evidence: what's it really like?' for young witnesses (2000);
• 'Towards Safer Care' for local authority personnel (1999);
• 'A Case for Balance', demonstrating good practice for judges and lawyers when children give evidence (1997);
• Joyce was a member of the Home Office team that produced 'Achieving Best Evidence in Criminal Proceedings' (2001).

Sandra Loohs

Title of keynote: Interviewing child witnesses and credibility assessment in Germany; the law and expert practice, an experiential account.

PhD, psychological expert in credibility assessment, Germany

Sandra Loohs is a state examined sworn psychological expert in forensic psychology.

• 1988 - 1994 German Diplom in Psychology, University of Regensburg, Germany. Areas of special expertise: Statement Psychology, Memory, Interviewing Child witnesses.
• 1996, PhD, University of Regensburg, Germany, topic: Interviewing methods for child witnesses
• 1998-2007, Lecturer in Forensic Psychology, University of Regensburg

Practice and Expertise:

• since 1996, work as psychological expert for courts
• 2000, sworn in as legal expert in Forensic Psychology
• since 2002, member of the Federal Government Policy Unit 'Forensic Psychology' Bavaria.

Johanna Motzkau

Title of keynote: Lost in Application? Child witnesses and psychological research on trial in England and Germany.

PhD, C.Pychol., Dipl. Psych, Lecturer in Forensic Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, The Open University, UK. Associate member of the International Centre for Comparative Criminological Research (ICCCR).
PhD at Loughborough University, first degree (German Diplom in Psychology) at the Freie Universität Berlin, Germany.

Johanna has a background in philosophy, marxist oriented German Kritische Psychologie (Critical Psychology), theoretical psychology, developmental psychology and forensic psychology.
She has completed a two year internship at the Institute for Forensic Psychiatry (Free University Berlin) which included interviewing child witnesses (predominantly alleged victims of sexual abuse) and assisting expert testimony on the credibility of child witnesses for court (using Statement Validity Assessment).

Johanna is interested in theoretical and methodological issues in psychology, philosophy, children's rights, child sexual abuse, gender, and the way in which psychological knowledge is used by the law. More recently she is interested in memory, suggestibility and credibility, in relation to legal and historical themes (holocaust). Recent work has looked at the history and theory of suggestibility research in relation to child witness practice in England and Germany (PhD thesis, Loughborough University, 2006: "Cross- Examining Suggestibility: Memory, Childhood, Expertise"). Her current work aims to understand the interaction between theory, research and practice in relation to child protection and child witnesses in England and Wales, with the aim of helping to improve access to justice for children.

Johanna has contributed to consultation documents by the BPS on fighting sexual offences in Northern Ireland and has provided consultation for family law and child protection agencies in Australia.
Teaching: Johanna is currently chairing production of a new Masters module in Forensic Psychology (Witnesses, Experts and Evidence on Trial) and contributing to a second module (Crime, offenders and policing).

Recent publications include:

• Motzkau, J. F. (in press). Exploring the transdisciplinary trajectory of suggestibility. Subjectivity.
• Motzkau, J. F. (in press). Speaking up against justice: Credibility, Suggestibility and Children's Memory on Trial. In: P. Reavey & J. Haaken. Memory Matters. London: Psychology Press.
• Motzkau, J. F. (2007, January). Matters of Suggestibility, Memory and Time: Child Witnesses in Court and What Really Happened [42 paragraphs]. Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung / Forum: Qualitative Social Research [On-line Journal], 8(1), Art. 14.
• Motzkau, J.F. (2005). Cross-examining Suggestibility: Memory, Childhood, Expertise. Children's testimony between psychological research and juridical practice. In: A. Czerederecka, T. Jaskiewicz-Obydzinska, R. Roesch, J. Wojcikiewicz (Eds.) Forensic psychology and law: Facing the challenges of a changing world. Krakow: Institute of forensic research publishers.

HH Judge Maureen Roddy

Discussant

Geater Manchester

Her Honour Judge Maureen Roddy currently sits in Greater Manchester having practiced as a barrister and Judge on Merseyside for many years. She will bring critical analysis and comment to the debate drawing on her experience within the Family and Criminal Justice Systems.

Mark Lee

Regional Director, Barnardo's North West

Mark Lee is social work trained and has been Director for Barnardo's North West Region since September 2008. He has over 25 years of experience of delivering child protection and safeguarding services within the North West. During that time he has held a range of positions in both local authority and the Children's Voluntary sectors.

Mark has worked with some of the most vulnerable groups of children and young people, including those who go missing, those at risk of sexual exploitation, children who are looked after, and children with disabilities.

In agreeing to chair this conference, Mark will be encouraging delegates to make the links between the issues raised in papers delivered by keynote speakers and the uncertainties that are grappled with across disciplines when delivering services.